


Cloak and Dagger

by Alshoruzen



Series: Castle Verse [2]
Category: Magic Kaito, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Fantasy, M/M, Master/Servant, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-27
Updated: 2017-10-04
Packaged: 2018-11-05 17:36:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 22,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11018247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alshoruzen/pseuds/Alshoruzen
Summary: Their investigation into the death of Kuroba Toichi lands Shinichi and Kaito in the middle of a city-wide battle. KaiShin





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story was first posted as part of my Different Suns collection on FF.Net.

Only two days in the city and they were already running for their lives. Shinichi didn't know if he should be surprised or just exasperated. When Kaito had first told him that he had found a lead, this was definitely not what Shinichi had had in mind.

Skidding around a corner, Shinichi's eyes widened as he saw three armed men running towards them. Beside him, Kaito cursed. The magician made a gesture with his hands. A bolt of white energy caught the lead man in the chest, throwing him to the ground unconscious. One of the others retaliated with a magical blast of his own. Kaito deflected it. By then, their two assailants were close enough to wield their swords. Shinichi didn't stop to think. He kicked the man in front of him between the legs. The guy's face went white and he dropped his sword, curling up into a fetal ball and whimpering.

Kaito, having dispatched the other armed man with a paralyzing spell, grabbed Shinichi's hand and dragged him into the mouth of a narrower side street. "This way."

-0-

Shinichi still remembered the day two weeks ago when Kaito had come bursting into the castle library.

"I know what it is!"

Shinichi had been in the middle of rebinding an old volume on the agricultural sciences and hadn't bothered to look up. "Don't yell. This is a library, even if it's a private one. And I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Pandora," Kaito elaborated, undaunted by Shinichi's lack of excitement. "I found someone who should be able to tell us what it is!"

That had gotten Shinichi's attention all right. Pandora… It was the name of the mysterious artifact that Kuroba Toichi had been murdered for. Ever since that talk he and Kaito had had about he person or people who had orchestrated Toichi's death, the two of them had been working together scouring the library and every other source of information they could think of in order to figure out exactly what Pandora was. They hadn't had any luck so far, so the news that Kaito might have found an answer was pretty big. But being the responsible person that he was, he finished his repairs on the book before straightening and moving to stand in front of his work desk, leaning slightly against its edge and looking to where Kaito had thrown himself into one of the library's overstuffed armchairs.

"So you don't actually know what it is yet."

The magician rolled his eyes. "You should be telling me that I did a great job."

"But you didn't actually find the answer."

"Yet. And I said I got a lead. That's something."

"Okay, congratulations. So what's the lead?"

Kaito didn't look entirely satisfied, but he decided to let it slide for now in favor of sharing the big news. "It's not definite, but I was visiting Aoko this morning, and I thought I'd ask her if she knew anything. After all, dragons live for thousands of years. She might be young for a dragon, but she's still been around a while. She's never heard of Pandora before, but she told me that there's a witch who's said to have access to all the knowledge of the past, present, and future."

Shinichi frowned. "I don't think it's possible for one person to know all that."

"Ever the skeptic, I see. But really, she doesn't have to really know everything to be able to answer our questions. Even a little bit of new information would be good, right? Wouldn't you say it's worth a shot?"

"It's better than nothing, I suppose," Shinichi conceded. "So who is this witch? And did Aoko tell you where you can find her?"

"Her name is Koizumi Akako. Aoko didn't know where she lived, but I did some digging. It turns out she's quite famous in the magical community. Might be almost as famous as me."

"Yet you have never heard of her."

Kaito chose to ignore the comment. "Her current abode is actually not all that far from here. It's a city about a fire hour carriage ride from the borders of my territory. She deals in information, unsurprisingly, though I believe she might also handle some trade in magical items. I hear she's not easy to deal with, but I'm sure that between the two of us we should have no problems."

Shinichi blinked. "The two of us?"

"Of course. You did want to come, didn't you?"

"I—well, yes, yes I do. It's just you wouldn't let me come before when you went out to look into this…"

The magician's expression grew serious. Rising from his seat, he walked over to stand in front of Shinichi. Once there, he placed his hands on Shinichi's shoulders and stared into his eyes. "I promised I wouldn't leave you out anymore. I keep my promises. But you have to promise me that you'll stay safe. Okay?"

"I…" Shinichi swallowed, mouth dry. "I promise."

The smile that crossed Kaito's face was warm and much more genuine than his usual mad grin. It made Shinichi feel warm and just a little bit giddy. But the magician's smile was soon replaced by a smirk as his hands slid off Shinichi's shoulders and down to rest on his hips. He leaned down to brush his lips across Shinichi's cheek before murmuring into his ear.

"Now I think we need to work on your speaking skills. You're far too cynical. It's not healthy to focus on flaws. You should learn to say more nice things about people."

And so they had set off. It had taken some time to prepare for their departure and make sure that all their affairs were in order. Kaito had to arrange for people to cover his duties while he was away. Fortunately everything had been peaceful in the castle and its surrounding lands for a while. They had planned to be away for two weeks.

Of course, looking back, that probably wasn't going to be long enough anymore. Shinichi cursed the witch for pushing them into this. And he cursed himself for not being more insistent about going home when he'd had that bad feeling.

-0-

When they had arrived in the city, it was to discover that while Koizumi Akako was indeed a famous name, she was not in fact very easy to find. She was the kind of person that almost everyone had heard of but whom no one knew anything solid about. And no one knew where she lived. By the end of the first day of asking around, Shinichi was seriously beginning to wonder if the woman really existed or if she was some kind of urban legend.

Exhausted from a day of running all over the city, they had retired to the Black Pearl Inn. It was a thriving establishment packed full of customers and good cheer. Because business was booming, they'd only had one room left. Unfortunately, it was one of their more expensive rooms. Money wasn't really a large concern for them, but Shinichi still didn't approve of spending more of it than was necessary. He'd suggested finding different lodgings for the night. Kaito had overridden him though, saying that the Black Pearl was one of the only reputable inns in the area, and a little extra money was worth not having to worry about shady characters lurking around while they slept. Shinichi could see the merit of that idea, but he had the sneaking suspicion that Kaito's reasons for insisting they stay also included the fact that the one available room was meant for new couples and had only one bed.

"Why did you tell them that your name was Kozuki Kaito?"

Kaito threw open the curtains to let in the night sky before turning to grin across the room at him. "Just a precaution. It'll be easier to poke around if people don't know who I am. But enough of that. What do you think of the room?"

"It's okay. Seems normal enough." Shinichi eyed the rather large bed and the ornate set of table and chairs set up in the corner like a miniature sitting room. There was an equally ornate vanity chest with a rather large mirror too. In fact, everything in the room was big and fancy. Rather more so than Shinichi thought was natural. A complimentary basket of fruits had been left on the table. The vanity on the other hand was sporting a collection of different candles and what appeared to be scented oils. "The view is good."

Kaito glanced back out the window. They were on the inn's top floor. The city lay spread out below them, bathed in moonlight and dotted with lamplight.

"Sure is. Would have been better with a balcony, but I guess we can't have everything."

Shinichi set about unpacking their things. Kaito watched him for a few moments before wandering into the bathroom for a look. He whistled.

"Hey Shinichi, you should see this tub. It's practically a small swimming pool!"

Placing their empty packs in the back of the wardrobe, Shinichi shut the wardrobe doors and went to peek into the bathroom. "Wow, that's…excessive."

"We should try it out. It's not every day you get to bathe in such a fancy tub."

"It looks like a waste of water to me."

"Ah, but if we use it at the same time then it wouldn't be~."

Shinichi blushed. "Shouldn't we be going to get something to eat?"

"I am pretty hungry," Kaito agreed, much to Shinichi's relief.

The two of them made their way back down to the inn's common room. With all the customers there, they assumed that the food couldn't be too bad. So they found seats at a small corner table and ordered the day's special—a grilled chicken dish with stir-fried vegetables and candied yams. It was indeed quite good. They had finished and Kaito was perusing the dessert menu when an old and slightly hunchbacked man approached their table.

"Excuse me," he rasped at them. "But I heard tell that you two have been asking around about Lady Akako."

Shinichi stiffened. Across the table, Kaito lowered the dessert menu and turned to look at the old man with an amiable smile that gave nothing away. "May we know who's asking?"

"My name is Igor," the man replied with a shallow bow. "And I merely wished to know because, if it is true, then I may be of some service to you."

The magician arched an eyebrow. "How so?"

"I can introduce you to the lady."

"And what would you ask for in return for this service?"

The man made a quiet hacking sound that might have been a laugh. "I require no payment. You see, bringing prospective customers to my lady is my job."

"I see. So then, let's say we're looking for some information. Do you think your lady would be willing to help us? We have heard that Lady Akako has access to a great deal of knowledge that has been lost to the rest of the world."

"That she does," the old man agreed. "And I am sure that she would be happy to supply you with the information you seek. For a price."

"Of course. I assume the details of any deals will be negotiated between us and the lady herself."

"That would be correct. I take it you are interested?"

"We are."

Igor nodded, unsurprised. "Then please follow me."

"Isn't it a little late?" Shinichi asked. "It would be rude to impose on the lady at such an hour."

"Not at all," the old man assured him. "My lady prefers to conduct her affairs after sundown."

That sounded kind of shady to Shinichi. He glanced at Kaito. The magician nodded and rose from his seat. They had, after all, come to see Koizumi Akako. And this was their first promising lead as to her whereabouts.

"Just stay alert," he mouthed to Shinichi.

Despite the late hour, the city streets were still quite lively. The old man led them through winding streets, taking multiple turns this way and that. Shinichi was almost positive that they passed by the same buildings multiple times. It had to be a way to confuse them. With the darkness and the unfamiliarity of the place, it was easy for them to lose track of exactly where they were. He wasn't even sure how long they had been walking when Igor finally stopped in front of a building at the end of a rather narrow and unremarkable alley. The place had no sign, and the building itself didn't give anything away either.

Stepping inside, they discovered themselves standing in what appeared to be an antiques shop of all things. It was currently devoid of customers.

"Please wait here," Igor told them, gesturing to a corner of the shop where several large, antique chairs with red velvet cushions sat. "I will let the lady know that you are here." The old man disappeared through a set of deep crimson, velvet drapes. They heard the creak of old stairs as the cloth fell back into place behind him.

The two young men sat. They examined their surroundings as they waited. A few minutes later, the drapes shifted and the old man returned.

"She will speak with you now. However, she asks that one of you remain here."

Kaito frowned. "Why?"

"It is custom. She never receives more than one guest at a time. It is a matter of privacy."

"But we're here together."

"Yes. However, as I said, it is our custom. There is no need to be concerned," he added. "We ask the same of all our guests."

Kaito glanced back at Shinichi.

"I'll be fine," the smaller boy assured him.

"I won't be long," Kaito murmured back. "Right then, Mister Igor. Lead the way."

Shinichi watched the magician go, trying not to fidget. He was more worried about Kaito going up there by himself. But then again, he knew that the magician was more than capable of taking care of himself. He was, after all, one of the most powerful magic users out there. Still, everyone said this Lady Akako was a tricky person to deal with.

He gave himself a shake and sat back in his seat. All he could do now was stay alert and wait. Spotting what appeared to be a stack of newspapers atop a nearby table, he picked one up and began to read.

On the other side of the curtain, Kaito followed the old man up a narrow flight of wooden steps. They emerged into a fire lit sitting room. It was decorated with rather fancy rugs and furniture, but it had no windows—or at least none that he could see. The heavy fabric hung across the walls could easily be hiding windows. A door on the far side of the room was opened, and then he was being shown into a chamber with a circular table set between two plush couches. There was a crystal ball sitting on the table. A fortune teller's room?

Seated facing the door was a woman with long, crimson hair. She was stunningly beautiful, and she held herself with the elegant bearings of a noble. Her ruby gaze met his and a sultry smile slid across her face.

Igor bowed to her and left the room, shutting the door quietly behind him.

"Please, have a seat. My name is Koizumi Akako. And you must be Kuroba Kaito."

Kaito stiffened. He hadn't told anyone in the city his real name.

As if reading his thoughts, the woman laughed. "Come now. You would not be seeking my aid if I were the kind of person who couldn't find out such a trivial little detail as a name. Besides, your reputation precedes you. I have been following your career for quite some time. I am very pleased to finally have this chance to meet you face to face."

"I see." Pulling a pleasant smile across his face, Kaito regarded the woman with wary intensity. "It seems the stories of your abilities do indeed have some basis in fact. Would you by any chance know what information I am looking for?"

"I may," Akako murmured. "Or I may not. You will forgive me if I do not wish to show my hand. It would be bad for business."

Kaito snorted behind his Poker Face. Figures. "I'll get straight to the point then. I am looking for any information you might have about an artifact called Pandora."

"Ah yes, Pandora." The woman's smile widened just a fraction. "You will have to be more specific about your question."

"I want to know what it is."

"In that case, I may indeed be of some assistance. But before I can share this information with you, you must do something for me."

"And what would that be?"

"Oh, just a little errand. There is an item that I would like you to deliver. You will pick it up at the location I give you tomorrow. Deliver it safely to its destination and I will answer your questions about Pandora."

Kaito considered the offer. He doubted it was really as simple as it sounded, but it didn't seem unreasonable either. "Do I have your word that this is the only payment you will require for this transaction?"

"I swear on my craft, complete this errand and the information is yours."

"Okay then."

"This is the location of the pickup." Akako traced a sign in the air. A small slip of white paper materialized to be plucked out of the air.

Kaito held out his hand. The witch placed the paper on his palm, her fingers brushing rather unnecessarily against his own. Withdrawing his hand, Kaito read over the address on the paper.

"What about the destination?"

"You will be told when you receive the package."

"Right. I will be taking my leave then."

"You may stay the night," the witch offered, leaning forward slightly as her smile turned seductive. "I have quarters upstairs."

"I thank you for your offer, but I already have rooms at an inn."

Back downstairs, he found Shinichi engrossed in reading newspapers. He didn't even look up when Kaito approached. When Kaito cleared his throat, Shinichi started and looked up.

"Kaito!" He shot to his feet. "How did it go?"

"I'll explain when we get back to the inn."

As if on cue, Igor appeared. "I will show you the way."

-0-

"So what was the lady like? Will she help us?"

Having procured cups of coffee from the kitchens, Kaito and Shinichi were now seated at the table back in their room.

"I'll say this much, she's definitely not someone you want to mess with if you can help it. She knew who I was, by the way. Said she's been following my career." He made a face. "And I think she may have wanted to sleep with me."

Shinichi choked on his coffee. "What—that's not the kind of thing you should just say about people! What makes you think that anyway?"

"Well she basically said as much."

"And what did you say?"

Kaito pulled on a mock wounded look. "I'm hurt. What do you think I said?"

Shinichi blushed. "S—sorry, I didn't mean it like that. I just… Did she really say that to you?"

"Not in so many words, but just about. I got the feeling that she knew more about me than she was letting on."

Not knowing what to say to that, Shinichi decided to focus on what was important. "So what about Pandora? Did she know anything?"

"She knows what it is. She'll tell us once we've delivered a package for her."

Shinichi blinked. "She…wants us to deliver something for her?"

"That was the payment we agreed on, yes. This is where we're supposed to pick up the package." Kaito slid the piece of paper he'd gotten from the witch across the table. "She said we'll get the package's destination tomorrow when we pick it up."

Shinichi rose to fetch the city map he'd packed. Returning to the table, he laid the map out and read over the address. "It's a bit far from here."

"Well, she didn't mention a time. So we have all tomorrow to get it."

"Don't you think this is a bit strange?"

Kaito shrugged. "It is a bit unusual, but for all we know this is the kind of thing she always asks for. Frankly, it could have been worse. Besides, it's the only lead we've gotten. We can't just pass it up."

"I know." Shinichi let his breath out in a sigh. He had a bad feeling, but he wasn't sure why. "I just have a hard time believing it's going to be that simple."

Kaito's expression grew serious. "Me too. But you can't solve problems until you know what they are. I say we go along with it and deal with any trouble when—if—it comes up. And hey, maybe it really will be as simple as it sounds."

Shinichi looked skeptical. He didn't have any proof otherwise though. A gut feeling was a weak reason to abandon the first lead they'd found in their self-appointed mission to uncover the artifact that Kaito's father had been killed over. It was a sobering thought. He knew how much this search meant to Kaito. And they had known from the beginning that it would not be without its risks.

They had to stay and see this through. No matter what.

-0-

"It's a pub."

"Wow Shinichi, I would never have guessed."

Shinichi scowled. "Don't patronize me. Are you sure we're in the right place?"

"Yes I am. Honestly, it's not that surprising."

"But they're closed."

Kaito hummed thoughtfully. "Let's go around to the back."

They found the back door open. Inside, a man was un-boxing bottles of assorted liquors. He looked up when Kaito rapped on the doorframe.

"Can I help you, Sir?" he asked.

"We're here to pick up a package," Kaito said. "For Lady Akako."

The man's eyes widened. He glanced around as though expecting eavesdroppers before stepping to the door and speaking in a low whisper.

"You have her sign?"

Kaito blinked. The witch hadn't mentioned any sign, but… Flicking his wrist, he produced the slip of paper with the address on it. As soon as the pub owner touched it, it flashed and dissolved into a fall of crimson feathers that vanished as quickly as they had appeared.

"I'll be right back with your package."

The man disappeared into the depths of the pub only to return a few minutes later with a wooden box about two inches across on all sides. It had three locks holding the lid shut (one on each side without hinges). The box itself was otherwise quite plain.

"This arrived with the package." The man added, holding out a plain, white envelope. "I believe it may be further instructions, though I was told not to open it. You will see that the seal is still intact."

"You have done very well Sir, thank you."

The man nodded, glanced around surreptitiously again, then asked in an even quieter whisper that Kaito, despite being right in front of him, had to strain his ears to hear. "Do you know what it is?"

Kaito raised a mental eyebrow, though outwardly his expression remained bland. So this guy was a middleman too. "It is unwise for a messenger to ask too many questions."

The man flinched. "Ah, right. Sorry. Did you need anything else?"

"No, thank you."

The man nodded and bid them a good day.

A few minutes later, the magician and his librarian were sitting on a bench in the plaza before the pub's main doors. A dry fountain stood behind them. Kaito tucked the box into a pocket then broke the seal on the envelope. Inside was a slip of paper much like the first he'd received from Lady Akako. On it was another address.

Shinichi pulled out their map and opened it. It took him a moment to find the right street. "It's all the way on the other side of the city."

Kaito snorted. "Yeah. Somehow, I'm not surprised. Let me see that."

Shinichi passed the map to the magician. Blue eyes darted up to the sky. It had been clear that morning, but clouds were beginning to thicken up there. It looked like it could start raining soon. Just what they needed.

It was because he was looking up that he saw the glint of metal on the roof.

There wasn't any time to speak. Shinichi threw himself at Kaito, pushing the magician off the bench just as a crossbow bolt embedded itself in the wood of the backrest.

Kaito rolled to his feet, indigo eyes immediately spotting the projectile. "What the hell?"

"There's more of them!" Shinichi exclaimed, scrambling to his feet.

And indeed, there were three shadowy figures on the roof of the building opposite (the direction the crossbow had been fired from). Two dozen more were detaching themselves from assorted shadows around the small plaza. All were headed their way.

-0-

So here they were now, dashing through random city streets and alleys past startled passersby, ducking and weaving between carriages and carts so their pursuers wouldn't be able to get a clear shot. The problem was that neither of them really knew this city. They might have studied its maps, but they didn't have time to stop and read street signs, and no map could have told them about which streets were busier when and all that stuff that only locals could know for certain.

Considering that, it was no surprise that they inadvertently found themselves racing down an almost deserted street. If there was anything lucky about their situation, it was that at least it wasn't a narrow street. Things were not looking up. Not only did they have pursuers behind them, but their pursuers had also circled around and were appearing out of side streets. Some were even coming towards them. They were surrounded.

A fat, icy drop of water hit Shinichi on the cheek.

Oh great, he thought. Just what they needed. Rain. If the visibility dropped, their pursuers with their knowledge of this city would be at a clear advantage. Well, even more of a clear advantage. They had to find a way to ditch these people now or they never would.

Blue eyes swept across the street. There! An unguarded crack in the wall just big enough for a single person to pass through at a time. It didn't look like much, but he recognized the architecture of this particular stretch of buildings from his readings. That crack of a path should lead to steps that would take them to the rooftops. From there, there should be a corresponding flight of steps down the other side. They were considered more decorative than anything else, and they would be easily overlooked. Their pursuers, whether they knew of them or not, probably didn't expect them to be able to even guess that the steps were there. Of course he could be wrong, but he felt the risk was worth taking.

"Kaito, that opening!"

The magician didn't bother asking questions. He just picked up his pace, heading for the opening Shinichi had picked out.

They didn't make it.

Ten feet from their goal, a fireball flashed across their path. It seemed someone in the masked ranks knew how to use magic.

Making his decision, Kaito stopped and turned to face the open street and the cloaked figures racing towards them.

Shinichi halted too. "What—"

"Shinichi, run."

Shinichi's feet were moving again before he could protest.

No! he screamed at himself. He wanted to go back—needed to go back. He couldn't leave Kaito behind.

But his feet wouldn't listen to him. The magic in the magician's command propelled him forward—away—despite his desperate struggle to stop.

He felt more than heard the explosion behind him. It rocked the ground beneath his feet. His heart leapt into his throat.

No.


	2. Chapter 2

The sky had opened up. Now rain was pounding across the city: dense and freezing cold. Shinichi had no idea what time it was as he had not yet seen a clock and the sky was black with clouds. All he knew was that by the time he stumbled into the Black Pearl Inn, his clothes were soaked through and he felt like a rag doll that had been tossed around by a storm then run over in the mud a few times by a heavy carriage. The physical discomfort was, however, nothing compared to the anxiety twisting in his gut.

He'd hoped—prayed—that Kaito might miraculously make it back before he did, but their room was empty when he got there.

He wanted to run right back out into the storm to find Kaito now that his feet were listening to him again, but common sense made him refrain. They had lost their map in the scramble, and even if they hadn't, the pouring rain meant that it was highly unlikely he'd be able to find anything. That included his way back. Heaving a frustrated sigh, he stripped out of his wet clothes and pulled a dry set out. No point catching a cold. Getting sick would slow him down, and that wouldn't help anyone. The moment the rain stopped, he was heading out to search for Kaito.

If he could see, he was sure that he could find his way back to the pub. From there, he might be able to trace their steps. Sure most of those steps had been taken in great haste, but he'd always had a good memory and a decent sense of direction.

Now that he had a plan and dry clothes, he found himself at a loss. He suspected he should eat something, but he just didn't feel like eating. Instead he sat down on one of the overly fancy chairs, closed his eyes, and set about reviewing the past several hectic hours.

He had noticed something as they were fleeing. Their pursuers, though dressed to conceal their identities in mostly unremarkable clothes, had not in fact been completely thorough. He had noticed when one assailant's cloak flapped open that there was a crest emblazoned on the sheath of the man's sword. What had it been? He conjured up the moment in his mind.

The shape had been jagged. A lightning bolt. Yes, definitely a lightning bolt. A lightning bolt striking through a…a circle? No, a sun.

Blue eyes opened.

He'd seen that crest before. And if he was right then he had the sinking suspicion that they were in even deeper trouble than he had thought.

And here he'd been thinking that things couldn't get any worse. He wouldn't make that mistake again in a hurry.

-0-

The heavy rain continued all through the night, and it wasn't showing any signs of stopping the following day. Trapped in the inn, Shinichi stewed for a while over what he could do and whether or not to go out and try to navigate through the rain after all. Instead he'd forced himself to eat a little then asked for a copy of every newspaper available from over the past few weeks. The inn's staff were rather puzzled as to why he would want outdated papers, but they were happy enough to help. He was in luck and one of the cooks had kept copies of many of the recent papers because they featured news on an actress at the city's largest theater whom he was enamored with. He lent them to Shinichi under the condition that Shinichi keep them in pristine condition.

By evening, he was about to go out of his mind. He'd slept terribly last night, so he was exhausted, but his thoughts were too restless for sleep. He had no appetite, and though his reading had confirmed some of his theories, it wasn't helping.

Did the fact that Kaito hadn't returned yet mean that he was—

No, he couldn't be. Shinichi wouldn't believe it! Kaito was too intelligent and too skilled a magician to go out like that.

Shinichi told himself this every few minutes.

"When do you think this storm will stop?" he asked when he went to return the old papers.

"It's hard to say. Our storms this time of year are always fierce and rather unpredictable. It could stop tomorrow or next week. No one knows. But it's always wonderful clear skies when the rains do go—great for city strolls if your into that sort of thing."

"I see. Thank you." Shinichi turned to go then turned back. "Incidentally, if I were to go for walks, would you happen to have a map I could use?"

"Oh of course. You can get one from the manager."

"Thanks."

New map in hand, he returned to the room. He was determined that, by the time the rain cleared (which was hopefully tomorrow), he would have every tiny bit of the map memorized to the point where he wouldn't need it anymore.

-0-

A shadow slipped into an alley mouth. The buildings to either side, however, were little protection against the storm. The wind simply funneled in through the alley mouth as the rain continued to bombard the earth from above.

Pausing halfway down the alley, the figure raised a hand and gestured back the way he had come. The air shimmered then went still. Satisfied that any pursuers not deceived by the misdirection spell outside the alley would find a nasty surprise inside it, he continued on his way.

He had managed to knock out more than half of the strange cloaked entourage with his first explosive attack, but that still left quite a number of pursuers. And they had wised up and were now generally trying to attack him from a distance. Thy had also stopped approaching him in overly large groups, realizing probably that that made it easier for him to take them all out with a single spell. It meant Kaito had to focus on using mostly small spells lest he waste too much energy at once. It was irritating, but he'd always been good at—tactical games like these.

Reaching the end of the alley, he glanced back once to check for pursuers before climbing expertly up the wall. Flipping over the top, he landed on the other side in a crouch, ready to attack if need be.

It was difficult to see through the rain, but he appeared to have entered someone's yard. It was a very large, very fancy yard complete with its own pond—let's stay away from that—and little stone bridge. The lanterns by the back doors were lit, but the weather meant that no one was outside.

This should be a safe place to rest for a while and get his bearings.

He was just finding himself a seat under the awnings out of the rain when suddenly the door less than a hundred paces away slid open. He tensed. What could anyone want outside in a storm like this?

He got his answer as a young woman stepped out of the house. She had a potted plant in her arms. Humming to herself, she set it down on the ground beneath the rain. Then she turned to go back inside—and spotted the intruder.

Kaito leapt forward and covered her mouth with his hand before she could scream. His other hand intercepted her fist as she made to hit him.

"Please, m'lady, I'm not here to hurt you," he said, giving her his most earnest, pleading look. "The storm caught me unawares. I am new to this city, and I got lost. Please, I just wish to rest out of the rain for a moment. I'll be gone in an hour. Promise."

Seeing that the girl seemed to have calmed, he slowly released his hold on her. She immediately took a step back but didn't scream.

"How did you get in here?" she asked.

"I thought I was taking a shortcut through an alley but ran into a dead end." He pulled on a rueful smile. "I was almost positive my inn had to be just on the other side, but… Well, suffice to say that that was not the case. I must have gotten completely turned around in the storm."

The girl's lips twitched as though she were trying not to laugh. "A lot of people have that problem when they run into their first storm here."

Kaito heaved an exaggerated sigh of relief. "Oh good. Here I was thinking I must be a real idiot."

Now the girl did laugh. "No need to worry about that." She paused before continuing more hesitantly. "You know, if you would like, I can ask my parents if they would let you stay for the night. We do have plenty of guest rooms."

"Oh wow, that's very kind of you to offer. I really couldn't impose on you like that though."

"Oh it wouldn't be any trouble. We have a wing of the house specially fitted for visitors who need to spend the night. These sorts of storms are very common. You wouldn't be the first person who was caught unawares and had to borrow one."

Kaito turned the idea over in his head. He wanted to get back to the inn as soon as possible, but running around in this weather could lead to his winding up farther away instead. His pursuers probably wouldn't expect to find him in a resident's private home, so it would be a good hiding place for the next few hours. There might be a problem if those cloaked men thought to ask around though. However, since it was so dark out, he cast a quick spell to mask his hair and eye colors so that he now had black hair and brown eyes.

He bowed to the young woman. "I guess if it wouldn't be a bother, I would very much appreciate your hospitality."

She smiled. "Just wait here. I'll go talk to them then."

A few minutes later, Kaito found himself seated across a table full of food at the young woman's parents. Apparently he had stumbled into the home of the Oyumi family, a clan of wealthy merchants. Since they constantly had employees shipping merchandize in and out of town for them, they were indeed used to putting people up for the night. They were a rather jovial lot who liked to hear stories of far away places.

So Kaito regaled them with tales of his "many travels" and put all of his considerable charm and wit to good use. It was the least he could do for their kindness. They'd even invited him to join them for dinner.

He just wished Shinichi could be here too. The boy was always fascinated with learning about other peoples and places. He would have enjoyed talking with these people.

-0-

Shinichi was washing his face in the restroom when he thought he heard movement outside. He tensed. He had not heard the door open

Cautiously, he stepped to the door and peered outside. Blue eyes widened.

"Kaito!"

"Hey there. It's good to see you~."

A pillow smacked the magician square in the face. He caught it as it fell and blinked across the room at the source.

"You scared me half to death you jerk!" Shinichi fumed. "Why did you send me away?!"

A second pillow soared through the air. His hands already occupied with the first pillow, Kaito had to duck the second. Before Shinichi could grab a third, he covered the distance between them in quick strides, tossed the pillow he was holding onto the bed, and caught Shinichi's wrists.

"Calm down," he admonished. "And here I thought you'd be happy to see me."

Shinichi flushed with anger. "Wha—you—how dare you even say that to me?! I thought you were hurt—or worse! I—I thought—"

Kaito gave Shinichi's captured wrists an abrupt tug, causing the latter to stumble forward, at which point the magician wrapped his arms around him. He could feel instantly that there were shudders running through Shinichi's slim frame. He felt a pang of guilt. He really shouldn't have been so flippant.

"I'm sorry I scared you," the magician murmured, breath hot in Shinichi's ear. "I really didn't mean to."

"Why didn't you let me stay?" Shinichi asked, voice barely above a whisper. He tried to ignore the way his vision was blurring.

"I…I couldn't." It was the magician's turn to have to pause and clear his throat. "I couldn't lose you. I needed to know that you'd be safe."

Shinichi stilled. The raw sincerity in Kaito's words made his own throat clench. "Don't you think I deserve the same?"

"I… You're right. I'm sorry. It's just…there are times when…"

Shinichi sighed. "I know… I'm sorry I lost my temper. I was just…worried. I know it's unreasonable to expect that you always tell me what you're going to do before you do it. I just…"

"Shinichi, I promise you that no matter what happens or what might come our way, I will always do everything possible—hell, I'll do the impossible if I have to!—in order to come back to you."

"You can't expect me to sit around and do nothing. I'm not that kind of person."

Kaito let out a hoarse laugh. "I know. That's one of the things I love about you. I wouldn't expect you to sit around. All I ask is that you be safe."

"I'll do my best. But if you ever do get lost, I'm going to come find you."

"Sounds good."

They stood there for a long moment, just enjoying the feeling of being wrapped in each other's arms. Then Shinichi remembered something rather important. Kaito was still soaking wet. And, by default due to their embrace, he too was now quite wet.

"We should get changed," he said, pulling away a little. "If we stay like this, we're both going to catch colds."

Kaito made a slightly irritated noise in the back of his throat. Unwinding one arm from around Shinichi, he snapped his fingers. There was a hiss of steam from their clothes. When it had dissipated, both of them were dry. Valid concern or not, he really didn't want to think about anything right now other than Shinichi.

The bout of steam had brought with it a burst of warmth which now left behind a sudden chill. Shinichi shifted unconsciously closer to Kaito for warmth. With his eyes closed, he exhaled slowly. His racing heart was finally beginning to calm, but he continued to cling to Kaito, needing the reassurance that the magician really was there. That he was alive and unhurt. His hands shifted, anxiously checking for any wounds he might have missed. Kaito hadn't acted like he was hurt, but the magician was a born actor, so he could have been hiding it…

Long, calloused fingers caught his chin, lifting his face from where it had been buried against Kaito's shirt. Blue eyes blinked open, meeting indigo orbs for an instant that sent an electric shock through his system.

A hot mouth found his own. His lips parted in a soft gasp, allowing Kaito to dive in, deepening the kiss.

Shinichi moaned quietly. He could feel himself melting into the kiss. His thoughts stuttered. The world grew hazy even as his senses seemed to sharpen.

He wasn't sure how or when his clothes had been stripped away from him. All he knew was that they were gone, and he was now lying naked on the bed with the similarly undressed Kaito leaning over him. He couldn't remember how he'd ended up here, but he didn't care. Right now, this was the only place he wanted to be.

The magician's hands were touching him everywhere: stroking, rubbing, pinching, and just plain driving him crazy. Then a hot, talented mouth joined the fray, and what was left of his coherent thoughts melted into a happy puddle of sensation and pleasure.

One of those oh so talented hands found its way between his legs and he gasped. It began to stroke him as its cousin continued to roam the rest of his body. He squirmed, tossing his head against the fluffy pillows. Teeth scraped over a sensitive nipple and Shinichi's breath hitched. One of his hands found its way into dark, messy hair as the other twisted in the sheets.

A scent he vaguely identified as belonging to one of the bottles of oil the room had come with reached his nose. He didn't think much of it until—

Shinichi let out a breathless whimper as Kaito pushed slick fingers into him. The fingers began thrusting immediately, movements quick and sure as they stroked and pressed and scissored, stretching him. Preparing him for what was to come next. Two fingers soon became three. Shinichi mewled as his back arched. The fingers responded by moving even faster, and he was just thinking that he didn't know how much longer he could withstand their relentless assault on his senses when suddenly they were withdrawing.

He might have whimpered a protest, but he never got the chance.

Instead, he moaned as Kaito entered him. Then he was clinging to Kaito as the magician thrust into him. And all he could think about was Kaito, Kaito, Kaito—

The world seemed to dissolve. It was just the two of them, lost in their own blissful eternity where all was right with the world.

-0-

Shinichi stifled a yawn as he buried his face in the crook of Kaito's neck. "We should get cleaned up…"

Kaito hummed thoughtfully as his hand continued to trace meaningless patterns across Shinichi's back. He could use a spell to clean them up. On the other hand… "We can always try the pool."

"…Are you talking about the ridiculously oversized bath rub?"

Kaito chuckled. Instead of a verbal answer, he rose and gathered Shinichi up into his arms. One blue eye cracked open to give him a mildly annoyed look, but Shinichi made no move to protest.

An hour later, they emerged from the bathroom in a waft of steam, both dressed in loose, comfortable clothes.

"I should totally have a tub like that installed at the castle," Kaito said with a grin before shooting his companion a leer. "Think of all the fun we could have~."

Shinichi blushed. Turning quickly away from the magician, he moved to the small refreshments tray that had come with the room. He poured a glass of water for both himself and Kaito. Setting the glasses on the table, he took a seat. Rather than sitting down across from him, however, Kaito wandered over and squeezed onto the seat beside him. A sinewy arm slid around Shinichi's waist, and a moment later he found himself sitting on Kaito's lap.

Reaching across the table, Shinichi picked up the second glass of water and handed it back to Kaito. "I remembered something I read before."

The magician raised an eyebrow, taking a sip from his own glass. "…Okay? I assume there's more."

Shinichi rolled his eyes. "Yes, there is. I think I know who was trying to kill us."

"Really? I don't suppose you know why too?"

"I have a good guess actually."

Kaito whistled. "Have I ever told you how amazing you are?"

Shinichi's blush returned. "Thank you, but it really wasn't anything. You'd know too if you'd read the papers here."

The magician blinked. "The papers?"

Rising from his seat on Kaito's lap (much to the magician's disappointment), Shinichi began to pace. "About three weeks ago, the royal family of the kingdom this city is part of was robbed. The stolen object was a very special ring that has been passed down from ruler to ruler. It is said that it was blessed by the gods and brings good fortune to this kingdom as long as it is being worn by the king."

"Wait a moment. How'd someone steal it if it was being worn? Did the robber kill him?"

"Actually, the current king is very ill. The coronation of the crown prince was supposed to take place three weeks ago."

"They stole it before it could be bestowed at the ceremony then. Everyone—and everything—is most vulnerable in transit."

"Exactly. The kingdom's been in an uproar ever since. Everyone is desperate to recover the ring. The coronation cannot continue without it."

"You are suggesting," Kaito said slowly, "that the package we were asked to deliver might be this ring."

"Well, what I just said isn't actually enough evidence to draw a conclusion like that," Shinichi admitted. "However, I saw a crest on the sword sheath of one of our assailants. It was a thunderbolt striking a sun."

"That's not the crest of the royal family here. Theirs is a flower of some sort. A starflower if I remember correctly."

"Yeah. I didn't recognize it at first either. But then I remembered seeing it in one of the historical texts in our library. It was the crest of the royal family who ruled this kingdom before the current family took over. They were, by all accounts, a vicious and tyrannical lot, but they were very powerful with many skilled warriors and magicians in their ranks. It was in order to rescue this kingdom that the current royal family's great ancestor received the blessed ring. They say that, while the man wore it, he was surrounded by a holy light through which no weapons or spells could harm him."

"Ah, I've heard that story. It was one of the last recorded incidents of true holy magic."

Shinichi paused. "Really? I didn't know that."

"Not many people do. So you were telling me about this previous royal family?"

"It seems to me that there are at least two plausible reasons," Shinichi said, hand rising to his chin. "Someone, either from the group that attacked us or a third party, stole the ring and are using a series of couriers to confuse the trail and hide the final recipient. In that case, we were just another part of the courier system, and our attackers found that out and decided to intercept the ring and take it for themselves. The other possibility is that our attackers are affiliated with the thieves, but they lost the ring or had it taken from them at some point, and the people who found it or stole it from them are trying the aforementioned misdirection tactic."

"So either way, we were cover for the ring's journey. Makes sense."

"The former tyrants' clan, the Raishu, have made multiple attempts to reclaim the throne in the past. So it wouldn't be surprising if they decided to try again by targeting the royal ring. Although," Shinichi added, "It's mostly speculation at this point."

"There's one way to be sure." Kaito snapped his fingers. The small, wooden box they had been asked to deliver appeared in his hand. "I think it's time we find out exactly what it is we've been carrying around." Setting it down on the table, he studied it for a long moment. The thing had been enchanted so that only the keys could open it. The first order of business was to disable the spell.

Shinichi sat down on the edge of the bed to watch as Kaito worked. Under other circumstances, he would have said it was wrong to open other people's parcels, but considering everything that had happened, he felt quite justified this time. And if they really had been given stolen property…

Three locks clicked softly. Then the lid was being lifted. And there it was.

A gold ring bearing a starflower crest looked up at them from a velvet-cushioned bed. The flower had been encrusted with diamonds. Tiny runes had been etched into the band. It seemed to be glowing against the deep crimson of its backdrop.

Shinichi let out the breath he'd been holding as the corners of his mouth turned down. "It really is the king's ring."

"Looks that way," Kaito agreed, expression serious. "What I want to know is why we were asked to deliver it."

"Could Lady Akako be involved with the plot to steal it? I mean, we were assigned the delivery by her, and the man we received the package from was clearly working for her."

Indigo eyes narrowed in thought. "I wouldn't put it past her to know that the ring was in the box, but she doesn't strike me as the type who would participate in a scheme to overthrow the king. It would cause instability, and that would interfere with her business. If I had to guess, I'd say it's much more likely that she was hired to cover part of the courier system like we were. But by who? Obviously it's not the Raishu, since they were attacking us." Leaving the ring still glittering from its box on the table, Kaito moved to sit down beside Shinichi on the bed.

They sat in silence for a long moment, both their eyes trained on that sparkle. It was Shinichi who eventually broke the silence.

"So what now? We can't deliver stolen property."

"Why not?"

He turned to level Kaito with an incredulous stare. "Why not? It's stolen property! And not just any stolen property. It's a royal heirloom! The right thing to do would be to hand it back over to the royal family."

"If we do that, we'll never get our answers from Lady Akako," Kaito pointed out, unperturbed by Shinichi's distress.

"So you'd be willing to hand this over to who knows what kind of criminals who could cause untold amounts of harm to this kingdom just to get your answers?!"

"Calm down. I didn't mean it like that."

Shinichi did not look impressed.

Kaito elaborated. "The first step will be to figure out exactly who is involved in this and what their goals are. Once we know that, we can arrange it so that, once we've completed the delivery, the ring will make its way back into the hands of the rightful owners. After all, we agreed to deliver it, not to make sure it, ah, stays delivered."

"You make it sound so easy," Shinichi grumbled, though he had to admit that the idea had some merit. Played right, they would even be able to hand the culprits to the authorities. "Although you realize that the chances are high that whoever we're delivering to is also going to try and kill us to tie up loose ends. Especially since we'll have had the ring a lot longer than we're supposed to. It'll make them suspicious about us having looked inside even if you can relock it correctly."

"You mean when I relock it correctly. But yes, I thought of that. But again, there are many ways to deliver something. In person is only one of them. If the lady is as skilled as she seems then she will know we completed the task whatever way we do it."

"How can you even be sure that she'll keep her word?"

"She swore on her craft. That's not a promise a magic user can just break on a whim."

"Oh." Well, that was good to know at least. Shinichi mulled it all over then sighed. "This is going to take a lot longer than two weeks."

"Probably."

"Is it really okay for us to stay in the city for so long?"

Kaito shrugged. "It's not ideal, but Aoko said she'd look after my territory while we were away. So things should be fine for a while. Most people avoid messing with dragons if they can help it."

"We should send a message home though. Let them know we'll be delayed."

"Yeah. It'll have to wait for the storm to pass though. For now, I say we order some room service. Then we can figure out how we're going to do this."


	3. Chapter 3

"The first thing we need to do is to leave this inn without getting caught."

"Do you think they followed you back?"

"I doubt it. But even if they didn't, it won't be hard for them to figure out where we are. This is one of the more reputable inns in the city. And they know what we look like. All they'd have to do is ask around. Though they'll probably try to be discreet about it."

"What if we left before the storm subsides? If we plan the route beforehand, we should be able to travel even with the low visibility. And we'd be hard to track."

Kaito's eyes narrowed in thought. "I suppose that could work, but one wrong turn and we'd be in real trouble. That, and if I were in their shoes, I'd already be watching the inn doors. And anyone leaving in weather like this would look suspicious."

Kaito had a point, Shinichi thought, hand rising to his chin. "But that means we have no choice but to wait out the storm. Then we can leave the inn in disguise."

"Yes, and no," Kaito said slowly. "We should start the disguises now. That way, they'll have more credibility when we leave."

"I think guests that appear out of nowhere would strike anyone as suspicious."

"Ah, but you're forgetting that this is one of the busiest inns in this city. That means they're always overflowing with customers. I doubt the staff could clearly remember every one of them. And don't forget, these storms are commonplace around here. I'll bet they're used to having lots of strangers coming in to take shelter every time one of these storms rolls in."

"All right. So what are you planning?"

-0-

The first half of the plan, the part focused around getting them out from under the watchful eyes of their pursuers, began with the appearance of a somewhat nondescript, ginger-haired man with small spectacles and a slim mustache. He didn't stand out much. He simply appeared in the common room every now and then for a hot meal. More often than not, he would order an extra portion to, according to him, take up to his old grandfather. At other times, he would join the other guests for a game of cards or dice. His grandfather was never seen. However, seeing as the old man was not in very good health, this was not particularly surprising to anyone.

And as Kaito ensconced himself in the inn's daily activities, Shinichi studied all the newspapers and magazines available to him in order to learn everything he could about the city's current affairs. He couldn't leave their room, but he'd always liked reading a lot more than socializing anyway. He was more than happy to leave the idle chitchatting to Kaito.

The storm raged on for almost three entire weeks. Shinichi wouldn't have been surprised if the whole city had washed away. Still, it was a relaxing time in its own way.

It would have been better if the weather didn't make the whole atmosphere so gloomy. It was like it was night time twenty four –seven. The sun was nothing but a distant memory. They ended up lighting up batches of candles every now and then in addition to the lamps. The biggest relief from the storm, however, turned out to be that giant bath tub. Shinichi found himself thinking that maybe it would be nice to have one of their own installed back at the castle. There was certainly something to be said for a hot soak in a spacious pool, especially with the icy rain pounding relentlessly at the windows all day and night. Shinichi had never felt the need for sunlight so acutely as he did those few weeks. There was, however, nothing to be done for it.

Sighing, he leaned his head against Kaito's shoulder, eyelids fluttering against the drowsiness brought on by the hot water and warm, humid air. It was like having your own private hot spring, he thought a bit dreamily. That being said, they should probably be getting out soon. But he was just too comfortable to move.

"I'm glad you're here with me, you know," Kaito said suddenly, breaking the peaceful silence. "I'd be bored out of my mind if I was stuck here by myself."

Shinichi arched an eyebrow, though he didn't bother to open his eyes or move from his comfortable position resting against Kaito's side. "What, so now I exist to entertain you, do I?"

Kaito chuckled. "Well, I am your master. But that's not what I meant." Using the arm he had wrapped around Shinichi's waist, he pulled his beloved onto his lap, tucking Shinichi's head under his chin. "I don't know if I ever told you this, but I never feel restless when I'm around you. When I first found out that Dad was murdered, I was furious. I couldn't think of anything but getting back at them. You were the one who helped me find my way back from that. Thank you. I don't know what kinds of things I might have done if I'd continued down that path. Probably nothing I'd be proud of."

Shinichi blushed as butterflies flitted about in his stomach. He personally believed that Kaito would have been able to choose the right path on his own given time, but it still meant a lot to hear the magician say such things. "You don't have to thank me," he said softly. "I… I want to stay with you. And I'll gladly do whatever I can to help you."

A small smile tugged at the corners of the magician's lips. He buried his nose in Shinichi's soft, somewhat damp hair. Whatever happened, he vowed to himself that he would make sure they made it through together.

-0-

When the storm finally ended and the sun peeped out across the city for the first time in what felt like years, the ginger-haired man with the mustache was seen escorting his elderly grandfather out of the inn. The old man was almost bent double and shuffled along at a pace little better than a snail's. His left foot dragged a little too. No one gave them a second thought, though a few did wave and call out farewells.

Still in their disguises, Kaito and Shinichi had taken a carriage all the way to the next town. There, they slipped into a crowded tavern and out through its back door. In the darkness behind the building, Kaito altered their disguises.

"That's not much of a disguise," Shinichi said a bit anxiously as he examined Kaito's appearance. The magician had disguised his hair and eye color, and his hair was neater, but he could still see Kaito behind the changes.

"I know it isn't great," Kaito replied, setting to work on Shinichi. "But I need this disguise."

"Isn't it about time you tell me what you're planning?"

"In due time."

Shinichi sighed. A few minutes later, he was spluttering.

"Kaito! What's the meaning of this?"

The magician's shark grin was a white slash in the darkness. "Simple. You're going to be my fiancé. You followed me to the city, and we are now trying to get on our proverbial feet. You are an intelligent young woman with a good education. But you were born with a severe stutter that has led you to prefer silence. Your name is Shina."

"…So if that's who I am, who are you?" Shinichi asked dryly.

"I, my dear, am your devoted lover and future husband for whom you were willing to leave your home and family. We met seven years ago when my family moved into the town where you lived. Our first meeting was under an apple tree when an apple I was picking fell on your head just as you were settling down to read—"

"Seriously? That's how you want us to have met? You hitting me on the head with an apple?"

"Well, why not?"

"…"

"Anyhow, we got to being friends after that. We both wanted to go out and see the world. I was able to venture out both on my own and with others several times as I helped my father with his business as a tinker. Now that we're old enough though, we intend to strike out on our own to seek our fortune. But first we need to make some money. And that's why we came to the city. We heard that this was a place of many opportunities as well as a hub of information. Aside from funds, we'll need to learn all we can about the world if we want to go traveling around it."

"I guess at least the story makes sense…"

Kaito looked affronted. "Of course it makes sense. Remember who you're talking to. A disguise without a reasonably believable back story would be pretty useless for our purposes."

Shinichi fingered a lock of his new wig then smoothed a hand over the dress. He supposed he would just have to believe that Kaito knew what he was doing.

-0-

"You say you would like a job?" Oyumi Toto asked in surprise as he looked over the young man and woman seated before him. He remembered this young man from that night a few weeks ago when the guy had sought refuge from the storm in the Oyumi household. He was a bright, cheerful fellow with a good head on his shoulders. His manner was polite and sincere but lively. Oyumi Toto nodded to himself. "We do currently have a few openings. Business has been booming. Tell me, do you know anything about how to determine the quality of a product?"

"Well, my old man was a tinker by trade, so I know a few things about working metal. He always told me I had a good eye for craftsmanship as well."

"I see, I see." The merchant looked thoughtful. "That could be just what we need right now, actually. Fortune is smiling upon us, it seems. You see, my people and I trade in a great variety of merchandise. We handle everything from furniture and art to textiles and raw materials. In order to make things work, we need a variety of experts who can correctly determine the value of the things we trade in. We have separate teams for buying and selling each of the types of merchandise we carry. As it happens, several of our metalwork specialists retired recently. We will have to assess your knowledge, but, if all goes well, I would be more than happy to give you one of those positions."

"Thank you very much," Kaito said sincerely. "When can I start?"

"The head of my metalwork division should be here shortly to give me a report. If you have no other plans for today, I will introduce you after our meeting. If you pass his test then I see no reason why you can't get started right away."

"That would be perfect," Kaito assured him with a broad smile. "In the meantime, do you know where my lady and I might be able to find some decent lodgings? We've been staying in an inn, but it's a little too expensive for us to stay in long term."

"Ah, I understand. As it turns out, there is an apartment complex not far from here. The rooms are small, but it is well maintained, and the rent is reasonable. Many of my employees lodge there. You can go take a look. If it is not to your liking then I will recommend somewhere else."

-0-

"well, here we are," Kaito declared, sweeping his arms out to either side in a grandiose gesture. "Our new home."

Shinichi looked around the small apartment. It consisted of two rooms. Both were small, but it was clean. He was pleasantly surprised by the presence of a hearth. The floor was bare wood. A small bathroom opened off of the bedroom. There was no furniture.

"We're going to have to see about getting a bed and a table to start with," he said, thinking aloud.

Kaito hummed in agreement. He was pacing around the room, carefully erecting safety spells. "I can charm the windows to show you in your disguise to anyone who might look in from outside, but you'll have to make sure to put the disguise on if the windows are actually open. It goes without saying you'll need to be in disguise whenever you go outside, but that also applies to any time you might open the door. Even if it's just to receive a delivery or something."

"I'll remember."

"All right then. Let's go shopping."

"I'll make a list of the things we need."

-0-

The address they had been given for the destination of their delivery turned out to belong to a large and rather intimidating building situated on the fringe of one of the city's largest business districts. From the outside, it was rather difficult to discern what kind of establishment it was. Shinichi had thought at first that it was some kind of financial establishment like a bank or a money lender. But when he'd asked one of the passersby, he'd been told that the place seemed to deal with real estate, though the source of his information hadn't been all too sure about the details or even what the place was called. Pretending to be browsing the dresses in the shop across the street, Shinichi kept a close eye on the small handful of people who went in and out of the nondescript building.

Everyone who came and went was very well dressed, he noted. Not only that, but they all carried themselves like they knew they were important. None of them ever came or left with packages that he could see. Then he chanced to overhear two of the suited visitors talking as they left the building. Their discussion had been about a large plot of land and their plans for building upon it. Yet another visitor had left muttering something about remodeling costs and current rental prices. So it really was some kind of real estate agency.

But why would a real estate agency want the king's ring?

"Miss, I think this one would look lovely on you."

Startled, Shinichi turned to find one of the dress shop's assistants holding a white dress out to him. The young man blushed when he saw Shinichi's blank look.

He coughed lightly. "I'm sorry if I startled you. It's just that you've been examining our selection for so long that I thought you might need a little help." Now, he smiled. It was a warm and very encouraging smile. He held the dress out again. "If you'd like to try it on, we do have dressing rooms in the back."

"O—oh, uh, thank you," Shinichi stammered, blushing as well. Since he couldn't say he was only there to spy on the establishment on the other side of the street and not wanting to come across as unnatural, Shinichi accepted the proffered dress. "Um, c—can you show me?"

"To the dressing rooms?"

Shinichi nodded.

"It would be my pleasure. They're right this way."

Fifteen minutes later, Shinichi left the dress shop with the white dress in a bag. He hadn't planned to buy the thing. On the other hand, his disguise could use a few extra changes of clothes. It would be unnatural to wear the same two sets of clothes every day.

"Please come again!" the shop assistant who had helped him called out as he left. Was it just Shinichi, or did his tone sound rather hopeful? How strange. Dismissing the thought as inconsequential, Shinichi scanned the neighboring buildings.

He didn't want to leave the area yet. He wanted to observe the real estate agency a little longer. But he couldn't continue to hang out in the dress shop—at least not for the rest of today. It would look strange and draw unwanted attention. So where could he stay that wouldn't take notice of a young woman hanging around for a while without company?

A coffee shop of some kind would have been ideal, but the only coffee shop on the street was at the corner of the block. It was much too far away to be a good place to watch from. The shop directly to the dress shop's right was a noodle shop, but they had yet to open their doors for dinner time. On the dress shop's other side was a shoe shop. Shinichi eyed it for a long moment then turned away. While you could spend a great deal of time trying on shoes, he would likely run into the same problem he had at the dress shop. That left the gambling house planted right next to his target building and the art gallery on its other side. The gambling house had no windows and wasn't suitable for a young lady alone anyway. Not to mention Shinichi had never approved of such places anyway. The art gallery, on the other hand, was promising. No one would fault you for standing in one place to admire a piece of art for a long time. And the place did have windows.

Art gallery it was then.

It was because he had to walk right past the target building's door to reach the art gallery that he saw the tiny letters engraved on an equally tiny placard next to the building's main door. It said "Chojin and Associates". He noted down the name and proceeded into the gallery. He felt like he'd seen that name somewhere before…

-0-

Shinichi stopped by the noodle shop to order some food to go before heading back home. The moment he got there, he pulled out the most recent newspapers they had and began leafing through their pages, searching. He found what he was looking for in the adds section of the paper from five days ago. He read it over carefully then grinned to himself. This was perfect. He'd just found their way in.

"Well you look happy," a voice remarked from right behind him. "Care to share the good news?"

Shinichi jumped. Jerking his head around, he glared at the grinning magician behind him. "Stop sneaking up on me already. And weren't you supposed to be negotiating a deal right now? Don't tell me you forgot."

"Of course not," Kaito said with an indignant snort. "I never forget anything. It just so happens that I got the owners of that foundry to agree to our deal in half the predicted time." He smirked. "Stand in awe at my awesome negotiation skills."

"Blue eyes narrowed slightly. "You didn't use your magic to make them agree, did you?"

"Pfft. I know better than to do that. No point giving my identity away for a little thing like a trading deal."

"That's good then." Shinichi glanced back down at the newspaper in his hands. He considered it for a moment before turning to show it to Kaito. "This is the place."

Kaito took the paper and read over the add Shinichi had pointed out. "Chojin and Associates. A real estate agency. That's interesting. What would a real estate agency want with a ring for magical protection?"

"I'm not sure. I didn't manage to actually see any of the people who actually work there. Yet. But, as you can see from that add there, they're looking to hire a new accountant right now. If the position hasn't been filled yet then I may be able to get in this way."

"You mean you're going to apply for this accounting position," Kaito said slowly. "And then go work for these people?"

"I could have sworn that that was what I just said."

"No."

"What?"

"I said no, you're not going."

Shinichi frowned. "Why? This is the perfect opportunity. It would be stupid to just let it slip by us. And you can't go. Even if your disguise wasn't too much like yourself, you've already got a busy job that you can't shirk if we want to keep up appearances. Besides, I'm good with things like book keeping."

"I'm not doubting your skills. I won't allow you to go spend your days in confined spaces with no windows with such shady people."

Shinichi's lips thinned. "That's ridiculous. First of all, you don't know for sure if these people are actually dangerous or not. For all we know, they could be another unwitting relay point. And secondly, you promised you wouldn't leave me out of things anymore. That means I'm part of this now, and I will do what I can to help."

"You also promised me that you would stay safe."

Shinichi's expression softened. "I'll be careful. It's not like I'm going to fight anyone. I'm just going to gather information."

Kaito made a dissatisfied face, but he could see that his beloved wasn't going to change his mind. He briefly toyed with the idea of using his magic to force Shinichi to stay, but he dismissed the thought as quickly as it came. Shinichi would never forgive him if he did, and Kaito didn't want to risk Shinichi's trust in him like that.

"If you insist on doing this then wait one day before you go in for the application."

"But that increases the chance that someone else will get the position first."

"Wait a day or don't go at all. I'm serious. I'll need about a day to create suitable protective charms for you."

"Oh." Shinichi looked down. It wasn't like he wanted to make Kaito worry. He knew first hand how terrible it was to be worried for the safety of someone you cared for. But he had to do this. "Okay then."

-0-

"Is something bothering you? You've been a bit quiet all morning."

Kaito looked up from where he'd been sorting through a crate full of silverware to smile at the girl helping him with the cataloguing. "I'm sorry if I seem a bit distracted today. It's just that my Shina's going in for a job interview today. I'm a little worried about how she'll do." He was hoping Shinichi didn't get the position, but that would be a strange thing to say.

"Oh, I see," the girl said with a light laugh. "You two are so sweet. Anyway, where's she interviewing at?"

"It's some real estate place called Chojin and Associates. They're looking for an accountant."

There was a clatter as the pen his assistant had been writing with bounced across the floor. She scrambled to retrieve it. Pen in hand, she returned to the small work table with the open ledgers she'd been writing in. She didn't resume her work though. Instead, she turned to give Kaito an anxious look, face pale.

"Are you sure it was Chojin and Associates?"

"That is what the add said," he agreed. He found himself tensing. That reaction had not been normal. "Why?"

"O—oh, uh, it's probably nothing." The girl laughed. The sound was a little too high to be natural.

Kaito stepped around the row of boxes he'd been sorting the silverware into and placed his hands lightly on the girl's shoulders. Catching her gaze, he stared deep into her eyes. "Please, Mina, tell me. I need to know."

The girl hesitated a moment before letting her breath out in a soft sigh. "Really though, it shouldn't be anything to worry about. It's just that Lord Chojin—he's the owner of Chojin and Associates—is notorious around these parts for being a hard man. He's never come out on the losing end of a business deal. He's strict with his employees, but he's also said to be fair to the ones who work well. You just have to follow his rules and don't ask questions. But there was a spot of trouble about three months ago." Pulling away from him, Mina moved to lean against the table. "That was when it was discovered that his accountant had been embezzling money. Two nights later, the man was found dead. He was stabbed through the heart. It was never proved, but most people in the city think that Lord Chojin had him killed. And it isn't the first time people who've angered him have met with bad accidents or untimely ends. It's all rumor though," she added hastily, seeing the expression on Kaito's face. "Like I said, for the most part, people say he's just a very serious, no-nonsense kind of guy who's strict with everyone."

"I see." Kaito returned to the crates, frowning. Part of him wanted to head over to the company right now and drag Shinichi home, but that would be over reacting. If anyone could work diligently and honorably twenty four seven, it was his Shinichi. "Thank you for telling me."

Shinichi shouldn't have any problems with a strict working environment. Although the boy did have a stubborn streak a mile wide and a tendency to be rather blunt, especially when he disapproved of something. He was the kind of person who would stick to his morals even in the face of harsh consequences. If his new boss was just strict, there wouldn't be a problem. But if the man was doing anything underhanded in his business…

Shinichi wasn't stupid though. He knew that the people he was going to be working with could be criminals. He should know better than to go talking back to them.

He would know better just so long as he didn't get too caught up in his thoughts.

Kaito cursed under his breath. He had to finish up his work for the day quickly. Once he had all this stuff sorted, he still had to deliver it to the proper venues. Once that was done though, he would have some free time. He could go check on Shinichi then.

It was as he was leaving the restaurant where he'd made his last delivery that he saw them.

Slipping into the shadows between the buildings, he watched as two grim-faced men in heavy cloaks walked by. He'd always had a good memory for faces, and he recognized these men as being among those who had attacked him and Shinichi all those weeks ago. Damn.

He debated with himself for a minute, but he couldn't pass up this opportunity. He would just have to trust that Shinichi was okay for now. Casting a quick illusion spell over himself, he moved to follow the two cloaked men.


	4. Chapter 4

The two cloaked men led Kaito to a large warehouse in one of the less populated areas of the city.

If he remembered correctly, these warehouses belonged to a merchant whose business rivaled that of the Oyumi family. They had actually been the leading merchants in the city until about a decade ago. That was when their current head came into power. The new leader was, by all accounts, only half the businessman his predecessor had been. He was said to be a little too fond of the luxuries in life. Kaito wasn't clear on the details, the issue not having been of much interest to him, but he did remember hearing rumors about them having fallen to less respectable dealings in the face of their diminishing business.

Gliding silently after the two cloaked men, Kaito found a spot from which he could see through the open warehouse door without being seen. A simple eavesdropping spell brought their words to him too.

The two cloaked men had met up with an older gentleman with a square jaw and grim eyes.

"Do you have the shipment?" one of the cloaked men was saying.

"I do," the older gentleman said. His tones were polished but flat and emotionless as his dead fish eyes. "Do you have the payment?"

"We got half of it here." The statement was followed by a jangle as the speaker pulled a large pouch from within the folds of his cloak. Judging from the sound, Kaito would guess that the bag contained gemstones. "You get the other half when we have the shipment. Provided, of course, that it is satisfactory."

"As agreed," the man intoned. He waved a hand at a series of large, wooden crates. "You may inspect the wares now. Take as long as you need to."

He was answered by a grunt. Then the two cloaked men moved to do as they'd been bidden. From the sound the lids of the crates made as they were lifted and set aside, the crates must have been made of extremely heavy, reinforced wood. From his vantage point, Kaito couldn't see the contents of the boxes. All he could make out was the dim shapes of the men as they moved from box to box, lifting the lids then bending over to sift carefully through the contents. It looked like they were taking extra care to poke around all the way to the bottom of each crate. Their thoroughness meant that it took them almost an entire hour to finish going through their shipment. The elderly gentleman simply stood aside and watched, face a completely unreadable blank that would have made him the envy of any Poker player.

Kaito silently willed the lot of them to hurry up. He was getting tired of just waiting, but he wanted to find out what was in those boxes. To do that, he had to wait until the men had left. He was fairly certain that they wouldn't be taking all their purchases yet since there was no way just two men on foot could carry off so many crates—especially not so many heavy-duty crates. His speculations were proven correct when the two cloaked men replaced the lid of the last crate and returned their attention to the elderly gentleman.

"I trust all is well?"

"Everything appears to be in order," the spokesman of the pair said. "We will retrieve the shipment tonight in the usual way. The rest of your payment will be delivered then as well as per our agreement."

The elderly gentleman gave a curt nod. "Very well. Tell your master that it was a pleasure doing business with him, and my colleagues and I look forward to his next order."

"I will."

The three men traded polite farewells. Then they locked up the warehouse and parted ways.

Kaito waited until they were all well out of sight and earshot. Then he cast a quick detection spell over the area that would warn him if anyone stepped within the perimeter. That done, he made his way to the door. It was locked both with three physical locks and five magical ones. They were decently crafted, but they weren't anything he couldn't handle. A few minutes later, he was inside.

The warehouse was a massive building with no partitions at all. It was just a huge, open space. Well, it would have been open if not for the veritable mountains of crates of all shapes and sizes. It was easy to spot the ones he was after because they were all lined up side by side instead of stacked on top of one another—most likely to make their contents easier to inspect.

"How thoughtful of them to leave everything out for me," the magician said to himself, laughing under his breath. Calling up a small light and letting it hang above his head, he levitated the lid off of the first crate. He arched an eyebrow when he was met by a spread of colorful bolts of silk. That couldn't be what all the fuss was about. A camouflage, probably.

He leaned over the shimmering array of colors. He raised an eyebrow in surprise. The patterns on those silks were magical runes. They had been expertly woven into the patterns so that they were extremely hard to spot, but they were definitely runes for a variety of spells of concealment. Kaito was impressed. It was a simple but very effective little trick.

Concealment spells like these didn't work on people who already knew where and what they were looking at, but you couldn't find better for smuggling.

Reaching down into the crate, Kaito carefully peeled away the layers of soft, slippery silk until he uncovered the gleam of metal.

Soon enough, he found himself looking down at something like four dozen swords. They weren't ordinary swords either. Each and every one had been magically enhanced. It wasn't uncommon for weapons to have spells put on them to make them sharper and more durable, although such spells were pretty expensive. These swords, however, went above and beyond. Some were enchanted so that they would give the wielder the power to summon fire. Others had the power to launch lightning bolts. Even one such sword was worth a small fortune. Kaito let out a whistle. This was one pricy shipment.

If all the crates were similarly filled with magical weapons then whoever was buying it all must be looking to arm a small army. No wonder they didn't want to advertise what they were up to.

Kaito checked two more of the crates before he put everything back the way he'd found them. All the crates were packed with magical weapons. They weren't all swords either. There were spears, bows and arrows, axes, daggers, clubs, whips, and even a few morning stars. The last crate he checked also contained two dozen small, round canisters that turned out to be magical bombs—extremely dangerous and very much illegal in every country he knew.

Filing all the new information away in his head, Kaito restored the warehouse locks to their unopened state and left.

So the descendants of the kingdom's previous royal family were investing in massive numbers of powerful magic weapons. It didn't take a genius to guess at what they might be plotting.

This was definitely not good news.

-0-

Knowing that Shinichi should be just about ready to head home from his new job now, Kaito headed for Chojin and Associates. The sky was already darkening with evening, and all around the city people were beginning to light up lamps and lanterns. The rush of the day calmed to a more relaxed bustle as people headed out for dinner or to just meet up and hang out with their friends. Others put down their work for the day to head back to the warmth of their own hearths.

Arriving on the street he was looking for, Kaito spotted Shinichi in the distance. His beloved was just exiting the nondescript building that served as Chojin and Associates' headquarters. Shinichi paused in the street, apparently checking to make sure he had all his things with him. As he did so, Kaito saw a young man duck out of the dress shop opposite and make his way over to Shinichi's side.

Kaito raised an eyebrow, eyes narrowing slightly as he watched the newcomer.

The unnamed young man had just handed Shinichi something. A cup? Yes. It looked like a paper cup. Judging from the way Shinichi's face lit up, the cup was probably full of coffee. Now the stranger was rubbing at the back of his head as he said something, expression sheepish but smiling. And was that a blush? Yes, yes it was.

Kaito heard a low growl. It took him a moment to realize that it was coming out of his own throat. He hurriedly put a stop to the sound. He didn't need to give people the impression that he was some kind of psycho, standing around making angry noises at no one.

Still, the nerve!

He'd miscalculated terribly. The realization struck like a bolt of lightning. He should have disguised Shinichi as his old mother. That would have solved all his problems. Old ladies were expected to spend long hours at home or engaged in quiet activities, not running around everywhere and putting themselves in harm's way. And they certainly didn't get hit on by young men working at dress shops.

Schooling his face into a cheerful expression more suitable to his character and the situation at hand, he sped up, weaving his way expertly through the masses towards his quarry.

In Kaito's mind, this was way more urgent than any of the myriad of other problems on his plate right now.

He supposed he might be overreacting, but he couldn't help it. His nerves were already on edge from everything he'd learned that day. And to top it all off, this was the first time he'd had to deal with the thought of someone daring to make a move on his Shinichi (the fact that the stranger had no idea who or what Shinichi really was only made the situation slightly less irritating). Back home at the castle, everyone knew that he and Shinichi were together—oddly enough, they had somehow known even before the two had actually gotten together (which Kaito had found a little miffing. He liked being the most well-informed person around, so having his staff figure something out about his personal life before him had been kind of embarrassing). But that was beside the point. The point was that, at home, interlopers were not an issue.

"Hey there, so are you off work now?" he asked, fetching up beside Shinichi and making both his beloved and the stranger from the dress shop jump.

"Don't sneak up on me," Shinichi admonished, but he was smiling as he said it.

The stranger gave Kaito a confused look. "Um, hi…"

"Hi," Kaito said, nodding amiably. "So are you a friend of Shina's?"

"Oh, uh, well…" The stranger cast a quick look in Shinichi's direction. "Y—yes."

"He's been very helpful," Shinichi said offhandedly, not noticing the way the way the dress shop boy brightened at the praise. "I need to make a trip to the tailors and get something in black. Apparently everyone who works at Chojin's has to wear the same uniform. I should have the address of their tailor here. Let's see… Ah, here it is." Shinichi held up a business card and frowned. "If I hurry, I should be able to get there before they close for the day."

"Right. We'd better get going then." Kaito looped an arm around Shinichi and began propelling him down the street. He waved a cheery goodbye at the dress shop boy and did his best not to smirk when the guy looked put out.

"So are you going to tell me why you're here?" Shinichi asked as they made their way through the city towards the tailor shop designated on the card.

"I came to see you, of course," Kaito replied, pulling on a mock wounded look. "Isn't it only natural that I worry about how your first day of work went?"

Shinichi snorted, but his expression softened. "It was very uneventful. Although I did get told off for not coming dressed in the company uniform. It seemed they expected me to already know that there was a dress code since no one bothered to actually tell me beforehand."

"So the boss is strict then?"

Shinichi sighed. "Oh yes, very. I don't think I heard him give anyone a single word of praise the entire day. No one could do anything fast enough or perfect enough. Anyone who got out of a meeting with him without being thoroughly chastised looked like they'd won some kind of prize."

"Man, he sounds like a real nightmare. Aren't you glad you work for me?" he added teasingly.

"You are much easier to work for," Shinichi agreed. "But we don't get any time off when we're working for you."

"I'd give you time off if you asked," Kaito retorted, somewhat offended.

Shinichi blinked then laughed. "I know you would. I…I like the way things are." He turned to smile up into Kaito's startled face. "I wouldn't want to change anything. What I meant earlier was that, well, everyone at the castle really cares. We're like family. And you can't take time off from that even if you wanted to because it's just a part of who you are."

Indigo eyes softened. "I see. I'm glad to hear it."

-0-

Shinichi bit back a sigh as he stared at the page of numbers before him. He'd been at this job for almost a full month now, and he was thoroughly sick of it. It was just so boring! Not that keeping all the accounts straight wasn't important, it was just not the kind of work he liked to be doing day in and day out every single day. If his coworkers had been easier to get along with, it might still have been okay. But the atmosphere in the Chojin and Associates' building was stifling.

No one talked to anyone else unless it was about their work. They didn't even say hello to each other when they met in the mornings or bother to say goodbye when they parted. Now, Shinichi himself had never been a very social person, but these people were ridiculously antisocial even by his standards. More than that. It was like none of them had ever learned the basics of being polite.

Shinichi swallowed another sigh. For the first time in his life, he felt like it was too quiet. But even this endless, dead silence was preferable to—

"Yo! This place is lifeless as ever, I see."

That.

A flaxen-haired young man with a mole under one eye came striding into the office like he owned the place. His clothes screamed expensive. They also cried out for pricy wines and dancing.

"Is my father in?" the newcomer asked. "Of course he is," he said, answering his own question before anyone else could speak. "You there. New girl. Get me a coffee." That said, he strode past the many desks arranged about the office and into the hallway that would lead him to Lord Chojin's office.

Shinichi rose from his seat and headed for the lounge. The place was reserved for Lord Chojin and his personal guests. It was also the only place in the building where you could get coffee. Everyone else had to make do with water or tea packets.

Shinichi took the coffee and hurried towards Lord Chojin's office. He didn't care for running errands for the lord's rude son, but he was quite interested in seeing if he could overhear anything useful. After all, Kaito had already gotten them some pieces of their puzzle. It was time Shinichi did too.

He supposed that, deep down, he might be worried that he was just being a burden. After all, all he'd accomplished so far was to make Kaito worry about him. He wanted to prove that it hadn't been a mistake for Kaito to bring him along on this trip.

And Shinichi was almost positive that his lead lay with Lord Chojin's son.

When Shinichi had first arrived, he'd suspected Lord Chojin of being the ring's intended recipient. This was his office after al. After he'd begun work, however, he'd learned that Lord Chojin didn't receive any personal mail through his office. All mail for the office went to the mailroom where they were sorted through by five different staff members. Most of the office's letters and packages were marked for specific departments. Unspecified mail, however, was all sorted by the same man.

The old man in question was a diligent man whose only answer to any question was a grunt. He did his work well but unenthusiastically. The only person Shinichi had ever seen the old man talk to was Lord Chojin's son. He seemed to have a grandfatherly affection for the young man. Shinichi could easily imagine the lord's son convincing the old man to pass the mail on to him before passing it on to his father.

Still, it was all speculation. There were too many possibilities.

Shinichi slowed his steps as he approached the office door. The door was open as it usually was.

"—forbid it!" Lord Chojin's angry voice was resounding along the hall.

"Well that's rich," his son replied. "You're the one that kept nagging and nagging me about getting married. Something about heirs, remember? And now that I'm doing what you said, you tell me that you forbid it. Make up your mind, old man."

"I expect you to find a respectable wife," the lord snapped, tone acid. "Not some backwater wench with questionable origins."

The younger man laughed. "If that's what you're worried about then let it worry you no longer. But don't take my word for it. I know you don't put much store in my judgment. You can decide for yourself at the ball. I trust you won't have any complaints once you meet the family."

Shinichi knocked lightly on the doorframe.

The conversation ceased abruptly. Lord Chojin's son turned.

"Ah yes, my coffee." He took the cup from Shinichi and turned back to his father.

Shinichi nodded to the lord then slipped back out of the room, still endeavoring to move as slowly as he could without coming across as suspicious.

"As I was saying," Lord Chojin's son continued. "My soon to be father-in-law will be throwing a ball in two weeks' time. Come. I guarantee you'll be applauding my choice by the end of the night."

The older man let out a disbelieving grunt.

Back at his desk, Shinichi looked down at the open book of accounts and sighed. Well, back to the tedium.

-0-

Shinichi was on his way home that evening when he spotted a familiar figure through a restaurant window. Curious, he slowed his steps for a better look.

Lord Chojin's son was sitting across from a young woman with long, auburn hair. Her dress was a rich, deep purple with rather more embroidery than Shinichi thought was necessary. It fit the luxury of the restaurant and her dinner date's fancy outfit though.

What caught Shinichi's eye, however, was the earring he saw gleaming gold from her ear when she brushed her hair back over her shoulder. He wasn't a hundred percent sure, since it was quite small, but he was almost certain that it was the same lightning bolt and sun emblem that he had seen on their assailants back when this had all begun.

Wait. Did this mean that Lord Chojin's son was engaged to a member of the Raishu family? But if that was true, and if the lord's son was also the one who was supposed to receive the ring, then why had Kaito and he been attacked by the Raishu when trying to deliver it? Maybe he was wrong and the ring really had been meant for Lord Chojin or possibly someone else in his company altogether. But that would make a ridiculous number of coincidences.

There had to be more to it.


	5. Chapter 5

"Lord Chojin's son is dating the daughter of the Raishu family?" Kaito exclaimed, though whether he was shocked or excited, Shinichi wasn't sure.

"It looks that way," Shinichi replied. "And not just dating. Engaged to. All the people in the office are whispering about the engagement. Lord Chojin doesn't approve. He thinks her family's some backwater noble house with no real power, wealth, or sense. But he's still agreed to go to the ball where the engagement will be announced."

"I see, I see. Were you invited?"

"Huh? Invited to what?"

"The ball," Kaito clarified, laughing. Shinichi could be a little slow sometimes when his mind was full of puzzles. "Did they invite you to the party?"

"I guess it's not impossible that I got an invitation," Shinichi said after a moment's thought. "Some of the other staff did, but mostly just the senior members. There was a letter on my desk yesterday though. But it was labeled unofficial, so I haven't looked at it."

Kaito shot him an incredulous look then laughed. "That's just like you. Well, you should look. It'll make our lives a whole lot easier if you were invited."

"Easier how?"

"Well, it'll make things more fun."

"…Fun and easy are not the same thing. And, frankly, in your case, they're probably exactly opposite."

"Well, maybe. But you never know."

"What I don't understand is, if Lord Chojin's son was supposed to get the ring, why are the Raishu soldiers trying to stop us from delivering it?"

"Let's see. The most obvious reason is they don't want him to have it."

"I know that," Shinichi snapped, rolling his eyes. "I meant why."

"Perhaps they want someone else to wear it instead."

Shinichi hesitated. "Like heirs arguing over who should succeed."

"Exactly. I did some digging of my own, and I discovered that the Raishu have been buying a lot—and I mean a LOT—of magical weapons. The man paying for those weapons is the Raishu's next head of house. Before you ask, I know this because I snuck in for a look at the books being kept by his smuggler. He uses an anagram for his name. Way too easy, if you ask me. And this young man happens to have a little sister."

"Lord Chojin's son's fiancé," Shinichi said.

"Yep. So what if the sister doesn't like the idea that she has to stay on the sideline as her elder brother reclaims the kingdom? What if she wants to be the one in charge?"

"Then she could arrange for the all important ring to end up with the man she chooses. They won't be able to kill him once he gets it, so they won't be able to do anything even if they want to object. And she would become the heir to the head of the family." Shinichi frowned. "But wait. She wouldn't be protected. Wouldn't the family just get rid of her?"

"Maybe," Kaito conceded. "But I recall that it was Raishu tradition to choose the heir that wins. It used to be a matter of the last one standing. But then it evolved into proving their mettle to the current head because they realized that if they kept killing each other off, they'd eventually drive their own clan to extinction. Now assassinating opposing heirs is considered low class. And though the direct descendants get first dibs, the leadership can actually be passed to a cousin or other relative if the current head deems his or her own children unfit. Anyhow, I could be wrong, but snatching the royal ring out from under her brother's nose sounds like a pretty good way to show herself the better heir to her father."

They sat in silence for a long moment, thinking.

Shinichi broke it with a sigh. "So then, what now?"

"We still have to deliver that ring if we want Koizumi's information."

"I know, but… We can't just look the other way."

Kaito smiled. "Don't worry, we won't. But we will have to get creative."

Shinichi snorted, but he was smiling. "I figured that much out on my own, thanks."

-0-

"Hello? I have a delivery of crystal goblets from the Oyumis."

"Ah, yes, for the ball coming up." The butler smiled broadly. "I'll show your men where to take it. Just follow me."

Kaito jogged back to the wagon and waved at his assistants to start unloading. Since the cargo was fragile, he'd been given a lot of assistants for the delivery. Each man and woman cradled his or her box with care as they followed him in single file. They made their way into the house to a storage room as dictated by the butler.

Kaito whistled when he saw the other supplies already filling the place. "That's a lot of stuff."

"It's going to be a very big ball," the butler replied with a chuckle. "Our young lady is getting engaged, you see."

"Ah. Congratulations."

The old man beamed like a proud grandfather. "Thank you."

"Is the party going to be here? It doesn't seem big enough for the size of party these supplies suggest. No offense," he added hastily, feigning embarrassment.

The old man chuckled. "No offense taken. And you're perfectly right. We're having the party at the Star Lilly."

"You know, we could deliver these supplies there for you," Kaito offered. "It would make everything easier for you guys."

"Thank you for your good intentions, but we can manage."

"Well, if you change your mind…"

"I'll let the family know."

Kaito stood back and watched as the boxes were carefully stacked. As he did so, he cast a quick detection spell, searching for any traces of the magical weapons he'd seen. But either they were being concealed by a very skilled magic user or they weren't being kept on the premises. He would put his best on the latter. The estate was large, but most of the land was dedicated to the gardens, and he hadn't seen any storage sheds. As for the house… Well, it was large, but, if they'd stashed all those crates he'd seen in here, they would have had to commandeer some of the living spaces to fit everything. And, if they'd done that, they wouldn't be letting random delivery people wander in and out so freely with only one old butler to keep watch.

So everything was stashed at the Star Lily, eh?

A smirk tugged at Kaito's lips as he left to make the rest of the day's deliveries. His last delivery happened to be near the Star Lily. What luck.

-0-

"Is this for real?" Inspector Megure stared at the letter in his hands.

"Uh, we don't really know," Takagi, the officer who had found the note, said. "But I think it would be worth looking into. I mean, we haven't had much luck looking ourselves…"

The inspector frowned, but he knew it was true. But still, this wasn't exactly what he'd call a lead. All it really said was that they would find what they had been searching for at the party being held at the Star Lily. It gave a date and the aforementioned Star Lily's address, but that was it. It didn't even clarify what it was that they would find, although, in terms of what Megure's team had been searching for, the royal ring and its thief were the only things that came to mind. Still…

"This city is almost at the very edge of the kingdom," the inspector said. "How the hell would the ring have traveled so far without being found? We've had the areas around the capital under surveillance ever since the theft!"

"I don't know," Takagi admitted. "But if it really is all the way out there, it would explain why we haven't been able to find it."

Megure grunted. That was true. "We can't get a search warrant with a tip like this."

"I have a thought about that," a new voice spoke up. Megure and Takagi turned to see another officer had entered the office.

"Yes?" the inspector inquired. "I'm listening."

The newcomer, Shiratori, smiled. "I have an invitation to that party."

"You know the hosts?" Takagi asked, surprised.

"Not personally. But they are a wealthy family, and I have met them at a few business functions I attended for my family."

Megure nodded approvingly. "So you can go as a guest and check out how much truth there is to this tip."

"Yes. And if we have our people stationed around the Star Lily, we can move in immediately should there be cause to do so."

-0-

"So what do you think?"

Shinichi looked from one open ring box to the other and back. The two boxes were sitting on the dining room table side by side. Everything about them from the color and texture of the boxes to the rings inside them were exactly the same. Even the luster of the rings was the same. It was amazing.

"You really did an incredible job," he said sincerely.

Kaito beamed.

"So which one's the real one?"

"The box on the right is real, but the ring on the left is real."

Shinichi nodded his understanding. "I assume I'll be taking the box on the right then."

"Yep. Right after I replace on the protection spells." The smile slid off the magician's face to be replaced by a much more serious expression. "Do you think you can do this?"

"Of course I can," Shinichi huffed. "It's not like it's difficult."

"You have to make absolutely sure that you aren't seen. If you're seen—"

"I know, I know. Stop worrying."

"If you'd just let me do it, I wouldn't have to worry."

"You have other things you have to take care of," Shinichi pointed out reasonably. "We're short on time as it is. Just focus on your part and let me do mine."

Kaito sighed. Reaching out, he pulled Shinichi into a tight embrace. "Fine. But be careful."

"You too."

-0-

Though he really did feel like his job in this was easy, Shinichi still breathed easier after he'd left the ring box in the mail room. The old man who sorted the mail had gone out for his break.

From his desk, Shinichi saw the old man return. He held his breath. A few minutes later, the old man emerged with the little, nondescript box in hand. The old man was scratching his head and muttering to himself about finding the young master to ask about the odd parcel.

Shinichi ducked his head to hide his smile. Things were going just as Kaito and he had hoped.

-0-

"I feel ridiculous."

Kaito laughed. "You look beautiful."

Shinichi scowled, a hot blush splashed across his face. He looked down at himself again. It wasn't so much the dress that was making him feel awkward as the fact that the dress was so lacy. It was white with blue accents to match Kaito's white suit and blue shirt. It looked like it belonged on some noble lady who never had to do any work.

"Why can't I just wear what I've been wearing?" he grumbled.

"Because we're going to a party full of high officials. You know that," the magician admonished. "It would be rude to arrive in everyday clothes."

Shinichi grumbled some more but didn't dispute the claim. He knew Kaito was right. Still, he felt like a cupcake.

"I won't be able to run in this if things don't go well," he warned.

"Don't worry. I'll protect you."

Shinichi relented with a sigh. A small smile made its way onto his face. "I'll be counting on you then."

Kaito leaned down to steal a kiss from Shinichi before stepping back and sweeping into a deep bow. "Shall we be on our way then, my lady?"

Shinichi rolled his eyes but accepted the hand Kaito held out to him. "Whatever. The sooner this is over with, the happier I'll be."

-0-

The ball was a grand affair. Shinichi felt out of place the moment he and Kaito arrived. He'd grown up in a small village where parties like this were things in stories only. He'd been exposed to a much more extravagant world when he'd gone to work in the castle, but Kaito wasn't big on formalities. When he threw parties, they were bright, lively, casual affairs more about letting loose than anything else. This party felt like nothing so much as a time for showing off.

If Kaito felt awkward at all, he didn't show it. Then again, Shinichi supposed the magician had had to attend his fair share of fancy functions on this trips away from the castle.

"Smile," Kaito whispered into his ear. "You look like you've swallowed a bug."

Shinichi drew in a deep breath then let it out slowly. He focused on the small band playing on the stage in the corner of the ballroom. Music was something he could appreciate. He let the notes wash the unease out of his system. This time, when he tried to smile, it was more natural.

"That's more like it," Kaito said, his own smile broadening into a grin. "So which one of these guys is Lord Chojin's son?"

Turning, Shinichi scanned the crowd. Half the attendees were on the dance floor. The other half were milling about, chatting and enjoying the refreshments from the banquet table and the cocktails being carried about by the servers.

Blue eyes zeroed in on a young man in a sleek, black suit with gold embroidery. He was standing with a pretty, young woman dressed in crimson. The two were standing at the head of a short queue of what appeared to be well-wishers.

He nudged Kaito and nodded in the couple's direction. "There they are."

"Let's go then."

Together, they made their way towards the couple. They had to wait in line for several minutes before they could speak to the two.

"Ah, Shina," Lord Chojin's son said in greeting when they approached. Then he turned to his companion. "This is Shina, my father's new accountant. Shina, this is my fiancé, Lady Aiko."

Shinichi nodded to the two."

"You'll have to excuse Shina here," the lord's son continued. "She's not a big talker."

"I see." Aiko smiled. She turned to Kaito. "And you are?"

"I'm Shina's fiancé." Kaito held out his hand. "Congratulations on your engagement."

Lord Chojin's son shook his hand as his lady nodded (Kaito observed that the lord's son really was wearing the royal ring, although the man had turned it so that the crest was facing his palm and out of casual sight). "Thank you."

They talked idly for a few more minutes before Kaito excused them, saying something about visiting the banquet table. On their way by, the magician 'accidentally' bumped shoulders with the lord's son. He apologized, and the moment passed. Shinichi snuck a look back at the couple as they left. There was a bulge in the lord's son's breast pocket that hadn't been there earlier (it was quite well disguised by the fancy brooch pinned over the same spot), but the man himself seemed oblivious to it. Good.

In another part of the room, one Officer Shiratori was wondering if the tip really had just been a hoax. So far, he'd seen nothing out of the ordinary. Setting his empty glass on the tray of a passing servant, he went to the restroom. When he emerged, he caught a fleeting glimpse of a shadow figure hurrying around the corner at the end of the hall.

His eyes narrowed. He glanced around to make sure he was alone then followed.

The Star Lily was quite a large building with many halls and rooms. It was popular for conferences and parties of all kinds. Today, however, the entire building had been reserved by the Raishu family. This was fortunate for Shiratori because it decreased the chances of being seen by passersby.

He followed the suspicious shadow from hall to hall. The figure kept stopping to duck in and out of rooms. It almost seemed like it was searching for something. About five minutes into his pursuit, Shiratori saw a second shadow join the first.

He edged closer until he could hear their low murmurs.

"They aren't where they're supposed to be," one murmured urgently.

"Could someone have stolen them?"

"They couldn't have taken them all. At least not off the premises. We'd have noticed."

"Maybe the others misread the directions and put them in the wrong place."

"Let's go ahead and seal the doors first. It'll be messier, but we can finish the job with what we have."

Shiratori frowned. He didn't like the sound of that.

He made his way quickly to one of the windows on the second floor of the building. It faced the street outside and, more importantly, one of the police lookouts. Removing a collapsible lamp from his pocket, he placed a candle inside it and struck a match. Then he held the lantern up in the window and began flipping the shutters around the lamp open and closed, counting.

It was as he was turning away that he noticed something strange. This room was an art gallery of some sort, and there was a massive statue in one corner. It was an abstract statue with no particular shape, but, because he'd seen the statue before in a book, he noticed that it was facing the wall. It was conceivable that the people who'd set it up didn't know which way the statue was supposed to face, but…

Walking over, he peered around behind the statue. There lay, rectangular shape covered in a white cloth that made it blend in with the marble of the statue's base.

Reaching over, he pulled off the cloth to reveal a box. And inside the box was…

He stared.

Then he ran back to the window to add to his message.

-0-

To say that the party's attendees were shocked when the police swarmed in would have been an understatement. According to the police, they had gotten a tip about there being illegal weapons stashed in the building. When they'd then found the building's doors sealed with magic, they had acted immediately and in force. With those reasons under their belts, the police conducted a thorough search "for everyone's safety".

Everyone, including the police, were astonished at what they found. Not only were there illegal weapons all over the building stashed in weirdly obvious places (there was a whole set masquerading as an artistic display of decorative weapons), but several guests were caught carrying similarly contraband items. The most surprised of them all was Lord Chojin's son, who had been found carrying the stolen royal ring in his beast pocket. The police were very curious to know why he had a replica of the exact same ring on his finger.

By the end of the day, a whole boatload of people had been arrested for a variety of crimes ranging from smuggling to conspiracy.

It was exhausting, but Shinichi was just glad that everything had gone so smoothly and no one had been hurt. Some of the Raishu's men had been ready to fight—apparently, the son had been planning to take several of the dignitaries present hostage to force their assorted families to submit to him. He'd also been planning to kill off a few of the more troublesome heads of families as he'd arranged with their respective successors. Those greedy, would-be-heirs were also rounded up by the police.

All in all, it was a good day's work.

-0-

"Are you sure you wish to resign?" Oyumi Toto asked. "You've done a wonderful job for us. Do reconsider."

Kaito smiled and bowed to the man. "I'm very grateful for everything you've done for Shina and me. And I really enjoyed working for you. It's just that Shina and I decided we want to have our wedding by the sea. And then we plan to go traveling."

"I see. Well, I wish you both the best."

"Thank you, Sir."

Kaito went to say his goodbyes to the rest of the Oyumi household before meeting Shinichi outside.

"How'd it go?" he asked as the two of them began to walk.

"Lord Chojin wasn't very happy about my resignation, but he was polite enough about it. And you?"

"We're welcome to visit again anytime we're in the area. I promised to bring Toto a copy of that set of explorers' memoirs I told him about over dinner that time. Oh, and they'll be bringing some presents to the apartment later. I told them we'd be leaving tomorrow."

"Presents?" Shinichi repeated, startled. "You mean like going away presents?"

"Nope." Kaito grinned. "Wedding presents."

Shinichi froze in mid step. "What?"

"I told them we were leaving to get married and spend some time traveling. They expressed their disappointment at not being able to attend the ceremony, but they wish us both the best and a happy life together."

"…"

Letting out a hearty laugh, Kaito caught Shinichi's hand and began towing the frozen boy along behind him. "Come on. We still have a certain witch to see."

-0-

"I must say, you surprised me. I did not predict this outcome, and I am very rarely surprised."

Kaito nodded to the redhead seated across from him. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"As you should."

"It's your turn to hold up your end of the bargain."

"Indeed. I'll tell you what you wanted to know," Akako said, a faint smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Pandora is a gemstone. But it's not just any gemstone. It is a stone that carries within it the power over life and death."

Kaito allowed himself a sharp intake of breath. "You mean…"

"That's right." The redhead's smile grew. "It has the power to take life. But, much, much more than that, it has the power to make a person immortal."

"That sounds like a myth."

"Oh I assure you, it's real."

"Where can I find it?"

The woman laughed. "No one alive knows the answer to that. However, because I like you, I will tell you this. You are not the only one who has come seeking this stone. There are many with long shadows who wish to swallow the stars. They too covet its power for their own."

Kaito mulled this over then nodded. "Thank you."

'You're welcome. If you ever need anything else, come and see me again," she said, peering through her lashes at him. "Come anytime."

"Swallow the stars?" Shinichi repeated, frowning. He and Kaito were now seated in a carriage on their way home. They had hired the carriage because they had gotten an unexpectedly large number of what Shinichi preferred to call "going away" presents. "What do you think she meant?"

"I'm not sure, but considering her words, I'm sure we'll find out sooner or later."

The magician fell silent, eyes dark. Shinichi could guess what he was thinking just by looking at his face. Kaito suspected that these people Akako had mentioned were the same ones who'd murdered his father. If they were… Sighing, Shinichi turned his face to the carriage window.

"We've turned off the main road," he said suddenly, frowning. "It's too soon. This isn't the way home."

"Nope," Kaito agreed, unperturbed. "But it is the way we're going."

"Which is…?"

"You'll see when we get there."

Shinichi rolled his eyes. "Of course." He should have known better than to ask. Kaito did love his secrets, even if they were just small secrets like a surprise destination.

Shinichi turned to look out the carriage window again. Kaito wouldn't tell him where they were going, but that didn't mean Shinichi couldn't try to guess. He knew that they had already crossed the border of the magician's territory. So, wherever they were headed, it was on Kuroba land. Pulling up a mental map of the area, Shinichi considered the options.

Accounting wasn't part of his job as the castle librarian, but he had filed away quite a lot of official documents. Among them were records regarding the various residences owned by the Kuroba family. They had to be headed for one of those because, though all the towns and villages in the area would welcome Kaito, the magician preferred to stay in his own places when possible. It was less restrictive, he said, and involved less hassle.

So which Kuroba residence could they be headed for? Not any of the ones Kaito frequented. Had the magician gotten news of some new bit of urgent business that he had to attend to that he hadn't told Shinichi about? It would explain the detour, but Kaito hadn't received any messages that Shinichi could recall.

The carriage trundled through fields of wildflowers and sunlit woods. When it finally stopped, it was before a small but well-kept country house. There were no other buildings in sight. The driver helped them unload their luggage and carry it all into the house before he drove the carriage away.

"Where is this?" Shinichi asked, looking around in confusion at the simple but elegant décor. The house was beautiful and completely unfamiliar.

"It's a house Mom, Dad, and I used to come to whenever Dad felt like we needed to get away," Kaito explained.

"Don't tell me we came all this way just because you wanted a vacation," Shinichi exclaimed, dismayed. "We've already been away from the castle for so long! There's bound to be lots of work piled up and waiting for us."

"Oh come on, these last few weeks were stressful for both of us. Don't deny it. We need to relax a bit. Besides," he added. "We are supposed to be on our honeymoon."

Shinichi blushed. "That isn't real," he stuttered.

"It can be if we want it to be~," Kaito half sang, looping an arm around Shinichi's waist and reeling him into a kiss that put a stop to any more protests. "Now," he continued as Shinichi gasped for breath, face still flushed pink. "Let's open our wedding gifts!"

"They're going away presents!"

"Nuh uh. They're wedding gifts. They even say so on the cards~."

-0-

Unpacking their gifts took the better part of the afternoon. Now they sat on the thick, furry rug before the hearth in the living room, surrounded by unwrapped packages.

"I can't believe there's so much," Shinichi said, looking at it all at a bit of a loss.

"The Oyumis had quite a lot of people in their employ, and I worked with most of the ones who weren't out traveling at least a few times. They're a friendly bunch. Good people. I think every one of them contributed something." Pausing, Kaito picked up a vase and turned it over in his hands. A smile appeared on his face. "One of the guys I did a lot of delivery runs with made this himself. Pottery's his hobby. And his wife's a painter, so she paints the designs on his projects. This is one of their joint works."

They both fell silent, looking at all their gifts. Most of it was practical stuff for a newly wed couple like sets of silverware and the like. Though not extravagant, everything had clearly been picked out with care.

"I'm going to miss those guys," Kaito said, echoing Shinichi's thoughts.

"We could always go back and visit sometime."

The magician smiled. "We should."

"I'm not sure what we're going to do with these dresses though," Shinichi mused, looking at the half dozen rather pretty dresses that some of the girls had gotten for Shina.

"We'll bring them home, of course. You might need them sometime."

Shinichi eyed him suspiciously. "Like when?"

"Like when we go back to visit the Oyumis."

"Oh." Okay, he couldn't argue with that. The Oyumis didn't know Shinichi after all, only Shina. He sighed and flopped backwards to lie on the rug.

"I feel kind of bad that we've been lying to them."

"Think about it this way." Kaito leaned over him, using one elbow to prop himself up so that he could smile down into Shinichi's face. "They were safer because they didn't know who we really were or why we were really there."

"I guess that's true…"

"You know, they were always telling me what a lucky man I am to have you," the magician murmured, lips ghosting over Shinichi's. "They told me that I should be sure to take good care of you. I told them I would."

A pink tinge crept up into Shinichi's face. He was caught in Kaito's dark indigo gaze. He found himself holding his breath. His body felt hot.

"You already do," he murmured in reply, his words emerging just a little breathless.

Kaito closed what little distance there was left between them and captured Shinichi's lips in a deep, lingering kiss.

Time melted into heat and shivers that had nothing to do with a chill. Hands roamed.

Shinichi blinked dazedly up at the ceiling when they finally broke apart. He realized with mild confusion that he could feel the long, downy fur of the rug against his bare skin. It was so soft that he felt like he was going to sink into it. He felt like he was lying on a cloud. Only he'd lost his clothes somewhere along the way.

And there, looming over him, was the man who had brought him there. Firelight gleamed in dark, indigo eyes. There was a hunger in those predatory eyes, and it made Shinichi's heart beat faster. A delighted shiver ran up his spine. For a moment, he couldn't breathe.

Calloused hands brushed up his thighs, and he parted them without conscious thought. His cheeks flushed.

Kaito shifted to settle between Shinichi's spread legs, indigo eyes roving over every inch of his beloved laid out beneath him, inviting him to touch. To taste.

He leaned down. He trailed his mouth over Shinichi's chest and stomach, licking and nipping and sucking as though savoring the flavor of every inch of skin. Hands roamed Shinichi's sides, his thighs, his bottom. Shinichi squeaked when Kaito gave his rear a good squeeze.

Shinichi gasped and moaned, squirming under the magician's ministration. The hot mouth latching onto the sensitive skin of his neck made him whimper. The calloused hands roaming his body set his nerves on fire. His fingers found their way into Kaito's wild hair, and he arched his body up, yearning for more contact.

Then that hot, devilish mouth found his, and a tongue was delving into his mouth just as slick fingers found their way to his hole. The fingers thrust into his rear as that tongue plundered his mouth. And he found himself mewling in pleasure, squirming helplessly under his captor. His fingernails scraped down Kaito's back.

The magician growled. His attention focused solely on the warm body arching under his. They hadn't been together like this since that night at the inn. Their kisses grew more heated.

The last remains of the tension of the past weeks finally dissolved completely. The worries of the future too faded into the background, temporarily forgotten. All that could come later. At the moment, now was all that mattered.

Shinichi gasped against Kaito's lips as a third finger entered him.

Feeling Shinichi clench around his fingers, Kaito couldn't wait any longer. He wanted to feel that around his cock—wanted to hear Shinichi cry out his name as Kaito thrust inside him.

Shinichi let out a breathless moan as Kaito entered him. He could feel himself stretching to accommodate the large, hard cock easing into him. He wrapped his legs around Kaito's waist, pulling Kaito in deeper still. Kaito didn't stop until he was fully sheathed in Shinichi's tight heat.

For a moment, the two of them just lay there thus entwined, wrapped up in the perfect bless of simply being with the one that they loved. It was beautiful. It was electrifying. And it was soon not enough at all.

Shinichi moaned, fingers twisting into the long fur of the rug. Kaito was moving deep inside him, thrusting into him again and again and again, sending wave after wave of pure pleasure dancing along Shinichi's every nerve. And he couldn't help but arch his back and cry out for more.

Kaito let out a sound that was somewhere between a moan and a growl as Shinichi tightened wonderfully around him. The pace of his thrusts quickened. He was pounding into Shinichi now, spurred on by the erotic song that was Shinichi's pleasured cries.

When they came, they came together. Then they collapsed, panting for breath as they slowly surfaced from their joint moment of bliss.

Eventually Kaito let his breath out in a quiet sigh. Shifting, he pulled out of his lover and lay down next to him, enjoying the way Shinichi instinctively curled closer to him.

"This rug is going to be hell to clean," Shinichi muttered without opening his eyes.

Kaito chuckled. "I know spells for that."

Shinichi hummed in assent. "I'm going to go take a bath then." He sat up and looked around.

"I'll go with you."

"No."

Kaito pouted. "Why not?"

"You can come if you promise to keep your hands to yourself. I still have to make dinner. I know you don't have spells for that."

Kaito sighed. "Fine. I'll wait."

"Kaito."

"Yes?"

"Where did you put my clothes?"

"I sent them upstairs."

"Can you bring them back?"

'Mmmm. I don't feel like it."

"…" Shinichi glared at him. "But what am I supposed to wear?"

Kaito looked serene. "I thought you said you were going to take a bath. No one wears clothes in the bath."

"I'm not walking around the house naked."

"You could always wear one of these lovely dresses our friends gave you."

Shinichi smacked the magician lightly over the head and got up. Still grumbling about stupid magicians with lousy senses of humor, he grabbed the baby blanket Lady Oyumi had decided to give them and wrapped it around himself before heading off in search of the bathroom.


End file.
